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Tag: Adewale

  • Adewale hails Obasanjo, seeks protection for Southwest votes

    A chieftain and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly called Aeroland, has hailed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his exemplary leadership concerning the State of the Nation.

    Adewale said Obasanjo’s letter “Point of Concern and Action” came at the right time because he has been echoing in the same direction, the need for stakeholders to be vigilant, and ensure that our nascent democracy is not truncated.

    According to him, the biggest threats are those who do not care about our constitution anymore but only care about “Regime Protection”. He advised that Nigerians must remain resolute by voting for a candidate who can get the country working again.

    Adewale, however, reiterated his earlier call that Southwest votes will determine who will become the next President. According to him,  Atiku and Buhari will slug it out in the North, while the Southsouth and Southeast are the PDP’s strong areas, but the total number of votes there will be complimented by what the Southwest can add.

    The party chieftain added that PDP must work hard to secure the bloc votes in the Southwest, noting that some factors which may militate against this victory was if the wrong people are engaged to coordinate the region. “There will be big trouble for the party,” he said.

    “PDP has always won convincingly in the Southwest, but our polling agents are too weak, and the elections are rigged right from the polling units to collation centers with, intimidation and forceful declaration of fake result, outright refusal or allowing PDP voters to even vote in some of polling units.”

     

  • Adewale to invest $3 million in power generation

    The Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship flag bearer in Ekiti State, Otunba Segun Adewale, has expressed readiness to solve the problem of lack of electricity confronting majority of communities.

    He said inadequate power supply would discourage inflow of local and foreign investment in the state, adding that the problem could be tackled with collaboration with the private sector.

    Adewale spoke while on a campaign tour to Omuo-Ekiti and other communities in Ekiti East Local Government. He said it was unacceptable for some communities to be in darkness for as much as four years.

    He promised to invest in human capital development by training 15,000 youths every year in skills acquisition and vocations and give them soft loans to establish their businesses.

    This, according to him, would enable them to cater for their parents without having to wait for government to give them one cup of rice and beans as currently being practiced by the government of the day.

    Adewale equally pledged to tackle electricity problems regretting the fact that some communities in the state have been in total darkness for four years without any effort by the government to solve the problem.

    Poor power supply, he said, will drive investors away from Ekiti, adding that he has made projections on how to invest about $3m to generate 10 megawatts (Off grid) in each of the three senatorial districts in the state in partnership with private sector.

    Describing himself as “the best man to fix Ekiti State and bring it out of the economic doldrums”, Adewale stressed that the state needs the urgent intervention of a visionary leader in so many areas.

    Adewale said mass housing schemes are possible in the state and that it is very key to the masses who might never be able to build houses of their own in their lifetime, because of their poor take-home pay.

    He noted that a new Ekiti is possible where all will be able to grow and achieve their dreams through the concerted efforts of the people and the leaders.

  • Ekiti ADP Primary: Adewale emerges Governorship candidate

    The National Committee Chairman for the Primary Election of the Action Democratic Party, (ADP) in Ekiti State, Mr Umaru Yakubu, yesterday declared Mr .Segun Adewale as the governorship candidate of the party for the July 14 election in the state.

    Yakubu, who is also the National Vice Chairman of the party, North West Zone, conducted the party’s primary in Ado Ekiti.

    Secretary to the electoral committee, Mrs Adenike Jones, who announced the results of the election held throughout the 177 wards in the state, declared Otunba Segun Adewale as the candidate of the party.

    The National Youth Leader of the party, Prince Edobo Ogboza, urged the youths and women to support the party and its flag bearer.

    He assured the party supporters of better times ahead, adding that the candidate, when he finally wins the governorship election would provide more job opportunities for the youths and empower the women of the state.

    He said that the party would ensure that the youths and women in the state are not sidelined.

    Adewale, who is the only aspirant of the party, in his acceptance speech, thanked the party members for their support and turnout from the 16 local government areas of the state.

    He tasked the party members to win more members into the party, for the party to have good outing during the July 14 governorship election.

  • Adewale promises to create 14,000 jobs

    A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Otunba Segun Adewale,  said his vision is to turn around the economic fortunes of the state for good and stamp out poverty.

    Adewale, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and a grassroots politician has expressed confidence that his government when voted into power will not fail the people.

    He has assured that all salary earners and pensioners will first be taken care of, by settling all the money owed to them by the Fayose’s government, stressing that Ekiti as presently constituted is a salary powered economy.

    Adewale said Fayose is not doing the workers any favour by paying their salaries. He argued that it’s their right and not a privilege and that prompt payment of salaries and pensions will enable a free flow of cash in the economy. He said: “The purchasing power of the people will increase, the local economy will boom and government will not find it difficult to apply fair taxes where necessary.”

    The aspirant said he will create not less than 14,000 new business owners through entrepreneurship training yearly. He believes that the 14,000 business owners will also employ at least five people each which will have a multiplier effect on job creation and take the youths out of the streets.

    Adewale has spoken passionately about the lessons that every state should learn from China, by focusing more on creating village-level enterprises, quality health services and educational facilities. He says that he is passionate about small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) because, for him, that is the bedrock of any economy.

    He has also promised to set up vocational skill acquisition centres in each of the three senatorial districts where any person of 20 years and above, irrespective of their educational status, can receive training in a specific career field. Adewale who is sure of picking up the ADP ticket said he is going to think outside the box, because his government would not employ everyone, but can equip everyone to succeed in their own unique way.

    Explaining further, he said it will not be business as usual, “because to take the people out of poverty and unemployment, there has to be a radical approach applied; thus all the trainees will be fully supported from day one.”

    Adewale said the over N14b the Fayose-led government wasted on a 1.5 km bridge should have been invested directly into the lives of Ekiti people especially the youth.

    The ADP aspirant said he will make Ekiti a leading state by converting the skills of the people into a resource that is capable of making it one of most economically viable in the country.

    He said international organisations such as the United Nations, the Ford Foundation and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are ready to support the entrepreneurship drive of the state and that his government will tap into every available opportunity to make Ekiti a model state.

  • Ekiti 2018: Adewale unfolds ambition

    Ekiti 2018: Adewale unfolds ambition

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Otunba Segun Adewale, has kicked off his mobilisation in Ekiti State  with distribution of electronic gadgets to empower residents.

    Adewale, who has commenced his ward-to-ward visit, ahead of the primary and the 2018 election, said his main policy thrust is to banish poverty from Ekiti land.

    He said the stomach infrastructure policy of Governor Ayo Fayose is “portraying Ekiti people as hungry and poverty-stricken,” adding that “the people deserve more a kongo of rice and cash stipends.”

    Adewale, who was a senatorial aspirant in Lagos West District of Lagos State, is a former PDP Chairman in Lagos State. He hails from Ipoti-Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area in Ekiti Central Senatorial District.

    The politician popularly called “Aeroland” who has kicked off his familiarisation visit to wards in Ekiti with distribution of smart television sets, motorbikes and smart cell phones, promised to eradicate poverty through massive skills acquisition scheme and provision of enduring  social amenities, inspired his ambition to become the governor of the state in 2018.

    “Rather than giving kongos of rice, we are giving motorbikes, flat screen television sets and smart phones to the people as our own Christmas gifts and Stomach Infrastructure for them.

    “The moment you give them rice, you are not dignifying Ekiti, you are saying that is their worth, but we are saying they can get better deals in TV sets, phones and others.

    “This is to wake them up that they can get better things. If I have never held any political position in my life and can give these items out of my private pocket, imagine what I would do when I become the governor.

    “We are giving 1000 telephones per ward in 177 wards in all 16 local government areas, 10 television sets per ward, and 10 motorbikes for each of 16 local government areas.  When we do this, people will now believe in themselves.

    “We will work with Chinese investors to come and start producing their phones here in Ekiti and we will give them all the incentives to make the project a reality.

    “For us to overcome poverty, we must change our people’s orientation, and establish technology and give adequate power.

    “We will give huge grants to department in universities to generate power for the state and sponsor many other productive ventures in the schools.”

    Adewale said he was saddened that an average Ekiti man has been impoverished by successive governments and made to believe that his miserable condition cannot be made better.

    He added: “I am here to change the perspective of the people, their minds have been conditioned to poverty, successive governments have also stamped it that poverty is in Ekiti. So my people see that and resigned to fate.

    “We will start by changing their mindsets which had been bastardised for years that they can be educated and still be poor.

    “We will now convert the knowledge to wealth, we will make sure that you are not only educated, but you have a trade that guarantees you wealth.”

  • Lagos PDP crisis: Adewale hands over secretariat to Bode George, BOT

    Lagos PDP crisis: Adewale hands over secretariat to Bode George, BOT

    chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Chief Segun Adewale, yesterday handed over the state secretariat of the party to the Board of Trustees (BoT).

    Adewale is the factional chairman of PDP loyal to Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif recently sacked by the Supreme Court as the National Chairman of the party.

    Adewale, addressing journalists shortly after moving his possession out of the secretariat, said that this was in line with the directive from the national headquarters of the party.

    He said that a letter from the party headquarters had directed him to hand over to BoT members in the state.

    Adewale explained that the National Caretaker Committee of PDP had ordered that the state secretariat should be handed over to Chief Bode George and other members of the party’s BoT in Lagos.

    He said that the order was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary, National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ben Obi, and addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni.

    Adewale said: “I am going to hand over the key to the BoT as instructed in the letter.

    “`As you can see me, I have packed out my things. I am going to drop the key now.”

    He instructed all his supporters to stay away from the secretariat in the interest of peace, even if the key is given to someone else.

    “It is quite unfortunate that those, who as at last week Saturday, were campaigning against PDP while in Labour Party, now want to take over the secretariat.

    “I was the one mobilising for the party during last Saturday local government elections in the state.

    “Even at that, I am ready to leave the secretariat, the police asked us to sign an undertaking that there will be peace in Ikeja.

    “I am not fighting with anybody, because if we continue this way, we will continue to lose elections in Lagos,” Adewale said.

    The crisis rocking the party at the national and state levels made those loyal to Moshood Salvador to make an alliance with the Labour Party.

    Salvador is the factional chairman loyal to Sen. Ahmed Markafi, who was declared by the Supreme Court  as the authentic chairman.

  • Adewale: PDP/LP alignment is a ruse

    Adewale: PDP/LP alignment is a ruse

    The factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale, has described the official alignment of the Ahmed Makarfi faction with the Labour Party (LP), ahead of the July 22 local government election as an indication that the faction is the black leg in the party.

    He said the faction is bent on decimating the PDP.

    Adewale noted that the upheavals in the party are masterminded by the Makarfi group under Hon. Moshood Salvador, through the directive of Chief Olabode George, whose wife is the Director General of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.

    He said: “This is a clear indication that the Makarfi led group are the moles within PDP who are hell bent to decimate us. We in the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff camp are never sell out, we stand firm for PDP, now that the Makarfi group divorced PDP for Labour party, it is good radiance to bad rubbish, even though we are opened to receiving them back.

    “Whenever they choose to come back they will never amount to anything, they would rather go and join the queue.

    “Having failed to reconcile and are opting out, they need to pay the N33m gotten from the sale of PDP nomination forms before any consideration as this move amount to anti-party activity. Adewale warned that anyone involved in such moves will face the wrath of posterity politically.

    The two factions headed by Hon. Mashood Salvador loyal to Makarfi and the other chaired by Otunba Segun Adewale – had sold forms to aspirants, but LASIEC recognised Adewale popularly known as Aeroland and accepted his list of candidates for the election.

    ”The truth of the matter is that their move to Labour Party is not borne out of failed reconciliatory moves with the party as touted by Salvador, but rather because they had brokered a truce with APC that PDP will not contest the local government election in Lagos State.

    “It is a clear antics to decimate PDP further as PDP is not Labour, neither is Labour, PDP, but Salvador and the 40 thieves are the ones in Labour. Loyal PDP members should be wary of this deceptive people.” Adewale reiterated.

  • Lagos West Senatorial election: Adeola floors Adewale at tribunal

    •Tribunal upholds another Lagos lawmaker’s victory 

    The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lagos has declared All Progressives’ Congress candidate, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola winner of the March 28, 2015  Lagos West Senatorial election.

    The three-man tribunal led by Justice Sylvanus Orji, yesterday delivered  the judgment  in the petition filed by the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Segun Adewale, challenging the victory of Senator Adeola in the election.

    In a unanimous judgment that lasted two and half hours, the tribunal dismissed the petition of the PDP candidate for lack of merit and incompetence.

    Adewale had sued Adeola, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking that he should be declared the winner.

    Adewale was represented by his lead counsel, Dr YemiOke while Adeola was represented by R.A Olagoke. Dr.MuizBanire (SAN)  represented the APC with INEC  represented by Oluwaseun Olusiyi.

    Adewale, in the petition had alleged that the election was characterized by irregularities and rigged to favour the APC candidate.

    He had further alleged that the results submitted by the various wards did not correspond with the number of voters accredited by the card readers, and that election did not hold in some wards among other irregularities.

    He therefore urged the tribunal to declare him as winner of the election.

    But the APC in its preliminary objection contended that the petitioner (Adewale) lacked the locus standi to institute the action.

    The party argued that the petitioner did not specify the law under which he brought the petition and also failed to state the votes scored by the candidates.

    “By provision of Electoral Act, the petitioner is expected to specify the scores of all the candidates in the election. He only specified his own score and that of the APC candidate who is the  respondent.”

    Adeola, on his part, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the ground that it lacked merit.

    He specifically contended that there was  material contradiction with the petitioner’s prayer and urged the court to declare him winner.

    The tribunal however disagreed with Adewale’s contention, insisting that there was no substantial evidence to prove that Senator Adeola was not qualified to run for the election.

    On the claim of the petitioner that there were irregularities at the polling units, the tribunal held that Adewale did not provide substantial evidence to validate his claim.

    In the view of the tribunal, the party agents at the polling units failed to provide evidence that there were irregularities at several polling units, to confirm such allegation and claims by the petitioner.

    The tribunal held that in the absence of any evidence from any party agent, that Adewale’s allegation of irregularities at several polling unit was mere speculation.

    The tribunal however chided  Adewale and his legal team for disregarding the court’s guideline in filing his final written submission.

    The tribunal members noted that Adewale’s legal team filed 104 pages of final written address as against the 40 pages stipulated by law.

    Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Moshood Olarenwaju Oshun yesterday declared that his victory at the Lagos State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal is a confirmation that he truly earned the confidence and trust of the people in the constituency.

    Oshun, who spoke through his media office after the tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State yesterday upheld his victory at the 2015 election, further said the people of his constituency should be congratulated for their steadfastness, support and cooperation with the All Progressives Congress, APC, through which he emerged candidate and won the election.

    Ibrahim Olumide Ajiga of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had petitioned the tribunal, headed by Justice Sylvester Orji, challenging the declaration of MoshoodOlanrewaju by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC

  • APC challenges Adewale’s locus standi to file action against its candidate for Lagos West

    APC challenges Adewale’s locus standi to file action against its candidate for Lagos West

    The All Progressives Congress(APC) has told the National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Lagos West, Segun Adewale, has no locus standi to institute the action he filed challenging the result of the March 28 election that declared its candidate, Olamilekan Adeola  (Yayi), winner.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, APC’s counsel Muiz Banire told the Justice Sylvanus Oriji-led tribunal that the party’s application dated April 20 to which was attached a written address was essentially to challenge the locus standi of the petitioner.

    Banire argued that the petitioner did not specify the law under which he brought the petition and also failed to state the scores of the candidates, adding that he only stated the score of the respondent (Yayi).

    “By provision of the Electoral Act, the petitioner is expected to specify the scores of all the candidates in the election. He only specified his own score and that of APC candidate.”

    Banire emphasized that Adewale’s failure to do that eroded the validity of the process, adding that where such happen, the petition becomes incompetent and urged the court to discountenance it.

    In his response, Adewale, through his counsel, Dr. Yemi Oke, submitted that he has complied with the provisions of the law by filing necessary applications.

    He claimed that the respondents have replied to the petition and that they have also filed counter affidavit dated May 6 deposed to by the petitioner himself with attachment of a 19-paragraph affidavit with written address.

    Oke alleged that the State Independent Election Commission(LAISEC) failed to give him copies of the election result.

    “The agents were there, they were not given the score sheet after the election. All these are in our petition. Non-compliance with the provision of the first schedule cannot be put aside. The document is filed before the court.”

    He prayed the court to dismiss the respondent’s application, describing it as an attempt to evade justice.

    The tribunal dismissed an application filed by the APC’s counsel stating that PDP served the court notices on the office of the party in Lagos instead of the office at Abuja.

    But the tribunal held in its ruling that there was nothing wrong with the service of the respondents in Lagos.

    “Any office of the respondent (APC) is an extension of the head office in Abuja and the purpose of serving the petition in Lagos office is to give respondents notice of the case in the court.

    “We need to underscore the point where we find nothing wrong with the service of the respondent in Lagos,” Justice Oriji declared.

    The matter was adjourned till Wednesday for pre hearing.